17 Reviews

Volunteer run cafés are always fun and interesting to visit. At Forest Café they have performances in the evening with local artists. Even though this is a vegetarian café, the whole menu can be made vegan which is a plus.

Murals. Mismatched furniture. Marvellous beans on toast, veganable. Seems like a very community focused place, there's free breadbin.
Great open windows to watch Edinburgh march on.
No breakfast menu sadly but the beans on toast can be nooched up to excellent effect.
Friendly staff.
Rough around the edges, but delightful all the same. Or maybe because it's so.

Really cozy discovered just by chance. Very friendly staff and really cheap.
Vintage hippy decoration, and nice murals.
It's a pity I just discovered it on my last day, since I've not really enjoyed most vegan/vegetarian places in Edinburgh.
Politically committed, as it could be expected in a place like this.

Classic hippie and activist space. A little chaotic but friendly service. Anti-fracking, drum circling, dancing hippies in a cafe gallery space. Not helping to crush any cliches but decent, well priced, generous served food with everything on the menu able to be done vegan.

Went here for lunch after visiting the National Museum and got a tad lost. The Forest Cafe has a very relaxed feeling to it and is very community based. I got the vegan chili with pita, dad got lentil soup and mum got a falafel wrap - mine and mum's was very nice but dad found his soup a bit too spicy.
The portions were really big yet really cheap! Definitely recommend.

in the middle of tollcross a haven of calm.
this could be regarded by many as a stereotypical hippie veggie place, and it is kind of. If i had the hair, i might have the dreads also.
really nice staff, you can tell the food is homemade which is good, and not from the supermarket packet.
there are performances of various kinds and you can buy local artists work which are displayed. Even the tables have been painted by people locally. a really relaxing place, a good coffee machine would really improve the cafe, although there filter is good.

run by volunteers, has a real community feel.

on a recent return had the falafel meal and would recommend as was filling, tasty and had a variety of salads with it.

The menu is limited but to have as many good reviews says everything about it. Food shares, options to buy pople a coffee....the forest rocks

I don't come here that often since the move from Bristo Place, mainly because the vegan food options are less good in the new location. However, it's still a great place to have in the city that does a lot of good things.

I'm a little biased because my housemate works there, but The Forest is a great place to sit down for a cheap and filling burrito and do some people watching. Don't expect it to be quiet though, as the place is always full with a very wide range of people and events. Definitely the number one choice in Edinburgh if you're looking for a politically alternative kind of place.

This is a local project which really is worth supporting. Voluntary nice people who make a small but important difference.
I wasn't stunned by the location or the food (although they were quite alright), but I felt really comfortable both with location and with the other guests.
If I would live in Edinburgh, I would go there all the time. Come and see for yourselves! But be aware that it's an eased cafe, not a restaurant.

Pros: helpful staff with good attitude, boosts local community, good Wi-Fi connection

i went to the forest while my brief visit to edinburgh where i used to live. i was surprised to see the new location but it didnt loose the old cozy atmosphere. the staff is super friendly and food freshly self made. i had a delicious soup (potato lentil orange pumpkin ?) and set of salads. another day yogi tea. the place is welcoming to stay longer sit read or have a chat. there are many delicious vegan options unfortunately not that many gluten free. ill definitely go back

We came here for lunch on a recent visit. The menu was small, indeed, maybe about 5-7 options. Only a few of the options could be made vegan, but we ordered the falafel plates and they were pretty tasty. I also tried the vegan chocolate cake, which was not the best I've had but certainly not bad. We really enjoyed the coffee and the laid-back artsy vibe. I think I would eat here again next time I'm in town. The staff were all very friendly and helpful.

This venue is different from any of the other all vego places I have been to in Edinburgh.

The menu doesn't offer the biggest choice but this place is run by volunteers for the benefit of the community - good for them. The things on the menu are simple such as sandwiches and nachos and also soup of the day. Sandwich of the day today was tofu and caramelised onion served with cous cous and green leaves salad. Decent value at £4. 1 coffee and 1 ginger and lemon tea was £2.50. Very inexpensive in my view for Edinburgh.

There's a cafe policy printed off and stuck on the wall re no racism, no sexism etc etc. The clientele were very casually attired.

Forest -- now in its brand spanking new location at Tollcross Junction -- is an Edinburgh institution, and although its old home is sadly missed, there are some great things about the new one. You sit surrounded on all sides by windows, so while you sip your cup of tea (you can choose from tons of varieties!), you can watch the bustle of Tollcross happening around you. The place is full of funky artworks and artefacts, and cool (often copyleft) music drifts out of a huge 80s boombox on the wall. There are tomato plants on all the tables, and they all have name labels and want to talk to you! Tea and coffee are served in huge, mismatched mugs by utterly lovely staff, all of whom are committed volunteers. The atmosphere is totally laid back and chill. It's lovely.

The food menu is still being worked out in the new premises, but I am super happy to see the legendary Forest burrito (vegan option available) back on the cards. You can also get a sweet salad (the choices change regularly so it's never boring) or a slice of delicious cake. There are almost always vegan cake options and the staff will bend over backwards to accommodate vegans' needs. Hooray!

Forest is an old place still trying to find its feet in a new location, but so far it's doing pretty darned well. Highly recommended for any vegan looking for a tasty snack in Edinburgh!